Title: The Oath
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRT
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: One month after The Protector.
Synopsis: Braden is turning ten.
Buffy laughed as
Lucas and Haddie played a game of monkey in the middle with Callie. She was sure that the game was called
something different now, but that’s what she knew it as when she was a
child. Callie chased the ball back and
forth as Lucas and Haddie rolled it to each other, yapping in frustration even
as her tail wagged madly.
Evan was busy looking
through a photo album with his grandmother, grinning as he pointed out pictures
of his siblings and parents. She could
only assume that Braden was getting dressed.
She hadn’t actually seen him since he went to take a shower.
She glanced at the
clock and smiled. Giles was probably
getting dressed now. As for herself, she
had been ready to go for the past fifteen minutes. She found it amusing that for once, she was the
one left waiting.
Joyce kissed the top
of Evan’s head and met Buffy’s eyes.
“Does this have to happen tonight?
I mean, it’s his birthday.”
Buffy chuckled
softly. “Yeah, that’s why it has to
happen tonight. It’s tradition.”
Joyce sighed. “But what about a birthday party with all of
his friends?”
“That’s
tomorrow.” Buffy replied happily. “Which is the way it would’ve been
anyway. It’s easier to have parties on
the weekends. He’ll have an entire
afternoon with his friends…cake, presents…all the normal birthday stuff.”
Joyce started to
reply, interrupted by Giles’ voice as he walked into the living room.
“Buffy, have you seen
my…” He trailed off when he noticed
Joyce sitting on the sofa, her eyes wide.
“Oh…I, uh…must be running later than I thought.”
“My God…” Joyce whispered as she stared at his
chest.
Evan looked up and
grinned brightly, not phased by the scars standing prominently on his father’s
skin. “Daddy!”
Giles smiled as Evan
climbed down from Joyce’s lap and ran over to him. As he picked the boy up, he cleared his
throat and met Joyce’s eyes.
“I’m sorry. I…I didn’t realize that you were here.”
Her eyes glistened as
Evan playfully traced the circled thorn scar with his fingertip. “I had no idea. I mean…Buffy told me that you’d been injured
a few times, but…”
Giles glanced at
Buffy and then offered Joyce a slightly embarrassed smile. “Yes…this is why you’ll never find me at a
beach.”
Joyce closed her eyes
for a brief moment and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Rupert. I didn’t mean
to make you uncomfortable, it was just…well, it was a shock.”
Giles gave her a
gentle nod and kissed Evan’s cheek.
“It’s quite alright. Most people
have a similar reaction when they see them for the first time.”
Joyce smiled as Evan blew
a raspberry against the thin vertical scar in the centre of his chest. “With the exception of your children,
obviously.”
“Well, most of these
occurred before Evan was born. Braden
and Lucas are the only ones who could possibly remember what I looked like
before the Mark of the Thorn.”
Lucas looked up and
narrowed his eyes in thought. “I don’t
really remember, Dad.”
“Really?” Buffy asked in surprise.
Lucas shrugged a
shoulder and smiled. “He just looks like
Dad to me.”
Giles smiled proudly,
lowering Evan to the floor and scratching Callie’s head between her ears when
she sat down next to his feet. He looked
at Buffy as he straightened and lightly rubbed his chest where Evan had blown
the raspberry.
“Um…I was looking for
my shirt. The dark purple one?”
Buffy thought for a
moment. “I thought you were going to
wear the green one?”
Giles chuckled
softly. “Braden requested purple. He said that it would match what he’s wearing
better.”
Buffy shook her head
in amusement. “It’s in the laundry, I
ironed it this morning actually.”
“Thank you.” He walked over to her, leaning down and
kissing her softly. “You look beautiful,
by the way.”
“Thank you.” She whispered as her fingers lightly touched
the healed bullet wound. “Is it okay if
I show the ring to Mom?”
He shivered lightly
under her touch and nodded. “Mm-hm…just
don’t let the children see it.”
“Okay.” She grinned as he stood back up and started
towards the hallway. “Hey…check on
Braden and see if he’s ready?”
“Will do.” Giles called over his shoulder as he made his
way to the laundry.
Buffy looked over at
her mother and stood, gesturing towards the kitchen with a tilt of her
head. Joyce glanced at the children,
smiling as Evan joined in with the game Lucas and Haddie were playing with
Callie.
Joyce followed her
daughter into the kitchen and sighed as she leaned against the counter. “I really didn’t mean to embarrass him.”
Buffy offered Joyce a
warm smile as she pulled a small ring box from a canister that she brought down
from the top of the refrigerator. “You
didn’t embarrass him, Mom. He was more
worried about your reaction than anything else.”
“Does he normally
scar that badly?”
Buffy shook her head
and handed the box to Joyce. “No, not
from normal cuts…but, the Mark of the Thorn is actually a burn. And…there was magick involved with that one
as well. He, uh…he kept that one covered
for months after it happened. He
wouldn’t even let me see it.”
“Really?” Joyce asked in surprise.
“Yeah. He said that it was a reminder that he almost
lost all of us and that it made him sick to look at it. It took me a while, but I got him over
that.” She sighed softly and leaned
against the counter next to Joyce.
“Funnily enough, that’s not the one that bothers me.”
Joyce tilted her head
in a silent request for Buffy to continue.
Buffy took a deep breath and swallowed.
“The smallest one on
his chest is where he was shot…but it was the one that almost took him from
us.” When Joyce placed a comforting hand
on her shoulder, Buffy smiled and shook her head. “But, I didn’t bring you in here to talk
about my husband’s scars. I brought you
in to show you that.”
Joyce looked down at
the box and gently lifted the lid. She
smiled as she carefully lifted it out and inspected it closely.
“It looks just like
Rupert’s.”
Buffy nodded and
smiled proudly. “Yeah…another
tradition. An onyx signet ring with the
family crest on the side and the date of the Oath Ceremony engraved on the
inside of the band.”
Joyce sighed as she
placed the ring back in the box and closed the lid. “It’s beautiful.”
Buffy took the box
and furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong,
Mom?”
“He’s just…so
young. Why does the decision have to be
made when they’re still children?”
“It has to do with the
length of the training. Giles thought
about making the entry age older, but it just wasn’t possible. He has gotten all of the other changes
approved though, which will be better for all of the new entries.”
“But, you’re okay
with it?” Joyce asked quietly.
Buffy nodded
slowly. “When we were discussing
children…before we even got married…he told me that he would never force his
children into joining the Academy. He’s
never really forgiven his father for accepting his destiny on his behalf. It’s important to him, and me, that our
children decide for themselves.”
“What about Lucas?”
Buffy smiled
brightly. “At the moment, he wants to be
a veterinarian.”
Joyce relaxed and
chuckled softly.
* * *
Giles was slipping
his jacket on as he looked into Braden’s room.
Hearing his son’s groan of frustration, he smiled and walked inside.
“What’s wrong, Ru?”
Braden turned to him
and dropped his hands to his sides as he sighed heavily. “This stupid tie.”
Giles smiled
affectionately and sat down on the edge of Braden’s bed. “That’s because it’s a new tie, I have
trouble with them as well. Come here and
I’ll see what I can do with it.”
Braden stood in front
of his father and tilted his chin down to watch what he was doing. “Thanks for wearing purple, Dad.”
Giles’ smile grew as
he carefully slid the knot of the tie into place. “You’re welcome. Any idea why your mother chose this color for
you?”
Braden looked up,
smiling brightly, as Giles buttoned the collar of his son’s lighter purple shirt
into place. “Mum says it’s the color of
royalty and that I’m her prince.”
Giles chuckled and
shook his head in amusement. “That
sounds like something she’d say.”
Braden looked at his
tie and then at his father’s shirt.
“Hey, they’re the same color!”
“Mm-hm.” Giles murmured as he held up Braden’s suit
jacket. “I’m rather sure that was your
mother’s doing as well.”
Braden slipped into
the jacket and furrowed his brow. “So,
she knew I’d ask you to wear that?”
“More than likely,
yes.” He grinned and then straightened
the knot of the black tie around his neck.
“Come on, let’s go show people how handsome you look.”
Braden’s green eyes
sparkled, the amber spot in the right one seeming to glimmer.
* * *
Giles and Braden both
stopped suddenly when they walked into the living room, which was now full of
people. Giles looked at Buffy and raised
an eyebrow.
“Good luck wishes, it
seems.” Buffy stated with a smile on her
face.
Anya leaned towards
Xander and whispered, though not very quietly.
“Do you think it’s weird that he looks so much like Giles?”
Giles chuckled as
Braden furrowed his brow and asked a question that only a ten year old child
could ask without sounding like a complete smartass.
“Well, who do you
expect me to look like? Xander?”
Xander snorted. “He has Giles’ sarcasm too.”
Ethan sighed
heavily. “Wait until he gets older. Rupert’s sarcasm has sharpened with his age.”
“And who would know
better than you?” Giles replied, his
smile showing in his eyes.
When Braden looked at
“Thanks. Mum picked out the color…and Dad helped me
with the tie.”
Lucas grinned as he
leaned against Michael. “Did you tie
your shoes by yourself?”
Braden narrowed his
eyes and glared at his brother. “Very
funny, Luke.”
“Boys…” Buffy stated firmly, her tone making it very
clear that an argument would not be tolerated tonight.
Lucas sighed. “Sorry, Bay.
It was just a joke.”
Braden’s glare softened
as he shoved his right hand into his pocket.
“It’s okay.”
Oz caught Braden’s
eye and gave him a soft smile. “Nervous,
Buddy?”
“A little.” Braden admitted softly. “I wish you could be there too.”
Oz’s smile grew. “I’ll be here when you get back. Can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Braden nodded and
looked up at Michael. Michael pulled
something out of his pocket and knelt down in front of Braden.
“Look, I’m not going
to pretend to understand everything that’s going on right now. But, I know that this is something you
want…” Michael smiled and lowered his
voice. “And I know that you’re probably
a little more nervous than you want to let on.”
Braden tilted his
head slightly. “Yeah…”
“You don’t need it,
but…” Michael lifted his hand and dropped
the object into Braden’s hand. “Good
luck.”
Braden smiled as he
looked at the small coin. “It’s a dime.”
“Yeah…silly, I
know. But, you’re half-American…you’re
ten-years-old…and it was minted the year you were born. I came across it in a jar of coins…I thought
you might like it.”
Braden slipped the
coin into his pocket and then wrapped his arms around Michael’s neck. “Thanks, Michael!”
“You’re
welcome.” Michael whispered as he rubbed
Braden’s back.
Ethan swallowed the
lump in his throat as he watched the exchange.
Thinking, not for the first time, that Michael would make a wonderful
father if given the opportunity.
Buffy slipped her
hand into Giles’ and squeezed gently. He
looked down at her and smiled softly.
“Yes?”
“We should probably
get going.”
He nodded in
agreement and looked down at Braden as Michael moved back to stand next to
Ethan.
“Are you ready, son?”
Braden’s bright smile
returned. “Yeah…um…yes, I am.”
Giles chuckled softly
and picked up his keys.
Buffy paced back and
forth, her eyes locked on the door that led to the room in which the ceremony
was being performed. “I wish we could be
in there with him.”
Giles smiled in
understanding and stopped her on her next pass.
He pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
“This is the way it
has been done for hundreds of years, Buffy.”
“I know, but it
doesn’t stop me from wanting to be in there with him. I mean…yeah, we were able to stay long enough
to give our blessing, but…”
“He’s in no danger,
darling.”
She looked up at him
and took a deep breath. “What do you
think they’re doing right now?”
He glanced at his
watch and smiled. The ceremony had been
in progress for nearly twenty minutes.
“I would imagine that
he’s receiving the ‘one girl in all the world’ speech right about now. However, that speech has had to be modified
since I took my Oath. The gist is the
same…how he will, one day, possibly be assigned to train and assist a Slayer.”
Buffy swallowed and
bit her lip. “Do they know?”
Giles furrowed his
brow. “About?”
She hesitated for a
moment and then lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. “His destiny.”
“No.” He answered quickly. “The only person I intend to tell is Ru. And only when we decide that he’s ready.”
“He’s not ready
yet.” She whispered, tears appearing in
her eyes.
Giles’ eyes widened
in alarm at her sudden change. “Buffy?”
“I’m okay.” She stated as she wiped the tears from her
eyes. “It’s just…God, he’s so young,
Giles. I mean, he’s growing up so
fast…all of them are. And it makes me
wonder where the last ten years went.”
He lifted his left
hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb, patiently waiting for her to
continue. He didn’t have to wait long.
“It seems like a
lifetime has passed since I was called.
But…it feels like it was just yesterday that you kissed me for the first
time. And so much has happened since
then.”
“I know.” He whispered as he brushed away a tear that
rolled down her cheek.
“We have four
beautiful children…and, at one time, I didn’t think I’d have any
children.” She pulled out of his
embrace, but took his hand. Leading him
across the room, she sat down in a chair and tugged him down next to her. “In twelve years, his battle will start.”
“Yes.”
She took a deep
breath and looked into his eyes. “I’m
the Mishtwanai…his protector.”
“Yes.” Giles nodded, not really sure where Buffy was
going with her train of thought.
“How am I supposed to
protect him for twelve years without him knowing something’s going on?”
“Buffy…”
She lowered her head
and bit her lip. “Maybe it would’ve been
better if we hadn’t been told about it.”
Placing two fingers
under her chin, he gently tilted her head back up. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the
past few weeks about this. Would you
care to hear my theory?”
“Yeah…you always have
good theories.”
He smiled and stood
up long enough to pull his chair around in front of hers. Sitting back down, he took her hands into his
and looked into her eyes.
“Demons are forbidden
to cause any harm to Braden, remember?
The contract was between Travers and Vhrashnin and he was an Ordoctlyn.”
“Yeah, which meant
that once Vhrashnin was killed, no other demon could take a contract out for
Braden’s soul.”
“Correct. Now…this is Braden’s destiny. And I believe that because of his destiny,
The Powers That Be will keep him safe from other dangers that would result in
death…car accidents, harm from other humans, natural disasters. I think that the only thing that could have
harmed Braden were demons.”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes and shook her head. “But, you
becoming a Watcher was your destiny…and you can still be killed.”
Giles took a deep
breath and lightly squeezed her hands.
“It’s different with Braden. My
destiny was chosen for me, by my father, when I was ten years old. Braden’s was given to him by a higher power
before he was even born. It was probably
given to him before I was born. This
prophecy was written hundreds of years ago, Buffy. They just had to wait until the line was
right before it could be put into motion.”
Buffy thought about
what her husband was saying and had to admit to herself that it actually made a
lot of sense. Except for one thing.
“But, I’m the Mishtwanai. Why would he need a protector if he didn’t
need to be protected?”
Giles swallowed and
licked his lips. Buffy nearly smiled at
the excitement she saw in his eyes. That
level of excitement only came from one thing…and that was successful research. That’s when it hit her that he had been
researching this…it wasn’t just a theory anymore. He had proven it to be true to himself…and
now he was proving it to her.
“Tell me.” She whispered softly.
“I think that your
assignment as his protector was completed when you defeated Vhrashnin. You protected him…his life, his soul…from
that demon and every other demon.”
Buffy’s brow
furrowed. “But…I haven’t read anything
about the Mishtwanai completing the assignment.”
A small smile played
on Giles’ lips. “When the prophecy was
written, I daresay that it wasn’t foretold that the Mishtwanai would eliminate
all demonic threat to The Protector at one fell swoop.”
Seeing the belief in
his eyes, Buffy began to relax. “Have
you been researching this non-stop since we found out the truth?”
He chuckled
softly. “Only non-stop while I was at
work. You would have asked too many
questions had I been researching it at home.”
“God, I love you.”
He smiled, leaning
forward and kissing her lips. “I love
you too.”
When he felt her hand
on his chest, he slowly broke the kiss and cleared his throat. “Um…to what extent did my appearance horrify
your mother?”
“Huh?” She whispered, confusion evident in her eyes.
“I, uh…I know that my
scars are – ”
She quickly placed
three fingers over his lips and shook her head.
“She wasn’t horrified, Giles. And
your scars are anything but ugly.”
He tenderly kissed
her fingers and then wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her fingers
from his lips. “I know how shocking it
can be to see them, Buffy.”
“She was shocked,
yeah…but that’s a far cry from being horrified by your appearance. If anything, she was worried. She’s not used to seeing physical evidence of
our battles. I mean…most of my injuries
fade after a day or two…”
He glanced at her
neck and tenderly ran his fingertips over the pale flesh left by the bites of
two different vampires. “This is the
only evidence that you’ve ever been injured.”
She shivered lightly
and slipped her fingers under his tie, rubbing his chest in the spot where she
knew the vertical scar to be. “Do you
find it interesting that the one Evan seems to be most preoccupied with is the
one that I actually gave you?”
He smiled softly and
closed his eyes, allowing the sensation of her hand rubbing his chest through
his shirt to course through him. “He
plays with the thorn as well…”
“Not really.” Buffy disagreed quietly, causing him to open
his eyes. “He’ll trace it with his
fingers, but he always goes to the ‘Buffy stabbed Giles with a letter opener’
scar.”
He licked his lips as
her hand moved to the right side of his chest.
“Just as you always go the gunshot wound.”
“I can’t help
it.” She whispered, her voice
trembling. “We almost lost you that
time.”
He smiled and covered
her hand with his, pressing her palm against the scar. “I used to worry about my scars…how you would
look at me or if you would even find me attractive after seeing them…”
Her eyes widened as
she began to protest. “No! Giles…”
“Do you know how I
see them now?” He asked softly,
interrupting her protest. When she shook
her head, he lifted his left hand and brushed his fingers through her hair. “I see them as testaments.”
“Testaments?”
“Mm-hm.” He leaned forward slowly, finishing his explanation
in a soft tone as he made his way to her lips.
“My way of proving to anyone…and everyone…that I will do absolutely
anything to keep you and our family safe.”
She gasped as his
lips touched hers, his tongue flicking against her bottom lip before he pulled
back just enough to whisper one more statement.
“They are testaments
of my love for you, Buffy. And I regret
not one of them.”
Before she could
respond, his lips captured hers again.
She groaned into his mouth as his tongue gently caressed hers. With a soft groan of his own, he pulled back
and inhaled shakily.
“I’m sorry…this is
not the time, nor the place, for me to start this.”
She licked her lips
and shook her head. “Probably not,
but…one hell of a way to pass the time.”
He laughed softly and
sat back in his chair as he heard the doorknob turn, giving her a wink. “I think we’ve passed enough time, love.”
They both looked
towards the door, standing as an elderly gentlemen stepped into the room and
smiled.
“Sir Rupert…it’s time
for the presentation.”
Giles gave the man a
nod. “We’ll be right in, Sir Jamison.”
Buffy snorted as the
elderly man stepped back out and closed the door. Giles looked down at her and raised an
eyebrow.
“Yes?”
“Sorry.” She stated through a stifled laugh. “It’s just… ‘Sir Rupert’…it’s funny.”
He smiled as he ran
his fingers down the side of her face.
“When you were a young girl, did you not dream of falling in love with a
Knight who would die to protect your life?”
She opened her mouth,
but could form no words. His smile grew
as his eyes sparkled, the amber patch in the left one seeming to glimmer for a
moment.
“I may not be a
Knight, Buffy…well, technically I am, just not in the traditional sense. All Watchers were Knighted by the Head of
Council on the night of their Oath Ceremonies.
We may not be sanctioned by the Queen, but we would give our lives for
the one girl in all the world who we trained for most of our lives to
protect…to assist…and sometimes, if one were very lucky…to love.”
Buffy inhaled sharply
at his words, her hand finding his and gripping tightly. “Why did I never know this?”
“The Slayer was never
to know.” He smiled as he lowered his
head and brushed his lips across hers.
“It’s somewhat harder keeping that secret from the Slayer who is also
the wife of an active Watcher…and the mother of an arriving student. In fact, this is a precedent. Braden is the first son of a Slayer to join
the Academy.”
Buffy gazed into his
eyes, a smile appearing on his face.
“And you’re getting ready to Knight him?”
Giles nodded
proudly. “An arriving student has never
before been Knighted by his father. This
is as much of an honour for me as it is for Braden.”
“And…I can
watch? Even though I’m a Slayer?”
“The
Slayer.” He corrected as he nodded. “The mother of an arriving student is always
welcome to attend the Presentation. And,
in this instance, I’m making the judgement call and saying that being the
mother is more important than being the Slayer.”
She laced their
fingers together as he pulled the door open and led her down the hall. His earlier question concerning the dream of
a young girl rattled around in her head.
As she looked up to find him smiling down at her, his eyes full of love
for her, she decided that she’d give him a detailed answer later.
When the time…and
place…was right.
As they followed the
elderly man into the room at the end of the hall, Buffy took a deep
breath. Giles smiled and gave her hand a
reassuring squeeze.
Braden looked towards
the door, his smile shining brightly as his parents walked into the room. Giles gave his son a wink and then gestured
for Buffy to sit on a comfortably cushioned bench positioned next to the wall.
Buffy bit her lip
nervously, wanting to tell them both that she loved them but knowing she was to
remain quiet for the time being. She sat
down on the bench and smiled as Braden grinned at her.
Giles cleared his
throat as he handed the ring box to the man known as Sir Jamison and took his place
in front of his son. “Braden?”
Braden turned his
eyes from his mother and looked up at his father. “Yeah, Dad?”
Giles bit back his
smile and shook his head lightly. Braden
blushed lightly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, sir?”
Buffy successfully
kept herself from laughing before focusing on her husband’s words.
“Can you tell me your
purpose in joining the Academy?”
Braden thought for a
second and then gave a quick nod. “Yes,
sir. To begin my education in order to
learn about demons, Slayers, research techniques, and languages.”
Giles nodded
proudly. “And for what purpose is this
education?”
“To be better
prepared to train one of the many girls in the world who have been chosen to
protect this dimension against demonic attack.”
When Braden hesitated,
Giles looked at him curiously. “Did you
have something you would like to add to that, Braden?”
“Well, that’s not the
only reason I want to join the Academy…um, sir.”
A smile played at the
corner of his mouth. “Go ahead.”
Braden took a deep
breath and slowly began to speak his carefully prepared speech. “I am a ‘Giles’, sir. My great-grandmother, my grandfather, and
you…um, my father…were all Watchers. My
family has been involved with the Council from the very beginning. I want to follow in my father’s footsteps and
continue my family’s tradition.”
Giles swallowed the
lump that had formed in his throat and glanced at Buffy, somewhat surprised to
see tears in her eyes. It was then that
he realized that Braden’s words were his alone.
He felt his heart swell with pride and smiled at his son.
“You understand the
risks that come with your education and training, yes?”
“Yes, sir.” Braden answered confidently. “I’ve seen the changes that my mother has made
in the world…and I’ve heard stories of other battles that she has faced. I want to help change the world…like my
parents have.”
Giles cleared his
throat, aching to pull the boy into his arms, and looked around the room. “Are there any objections from the witnesses
present?”
Each of the five men
responded with a soft ‘no, sir’. When
his eyes met Buffy’s, she swallowed and shook her head.
“I have no
objections.”
Giles smiled as Sir
Jamison handed the ring box back to him.
Gesturing to the floor, Giles looked into Braden’s eyes.
Braden didn’t need to
be told what to do. He maintained the
gaze with his father’s eyes as he knelt before him.
Giles gingerly
removed the ring from its box and cleared his throat again. “Rings are symbolic in many ways,
Braden. This particular ring is symbolic
in the fact that you have taken your Oath to begin your training. Traditionally, the ring is to be worn on the
right hand until the time a Slayer is assigned to you, should that honour be
bestowed upon you. At that time, it
should be transferred to your left hand as a sign of loyalty to your Slayer.”
“With the acceptance
of this ring, comes the responsibility of upholding the traditions of the
Council to the best of your ability. The
Council is founded on tradition, but that does not mean that traditions cannot
be questioned. Times and methods have
changed since the Council’s inception, and so have traditions. Should you accept this responsibility, you
will be indoctrinated into the Order of the Council.”
Giles smiled and
inhaled deeply. “Do you accept, Braden?”
“Yes, sir.” Braden replied in a soft, but confident
voice. “Yes, sir, I do.”
Giles lowered himself
to the floor in front of his son and stared into the boy’s eyes as he slipped
the ring onto his finger. “Sir Braden
Rupert Giles…welcome to the Order of the Council.”
A slow grin appeared
on Braden’s face as he looked down at the ring emblazoned with the Giles family
crest. “Thanks, Dad.”
He looked up quickly,
his face flushing red. “Um, I mean…sir. Thank you, sir.”
The five men standing
behind Giles chuckled softly, as did Buffy.
Giles grinned as he placed his left hand on Braden’s shoulder and
squeezed lightly before he stood, pulling Braden up with him.
Sir Jamison stepped forward
and addressed the occupants of the room, his smile shining in his bright blue
eyes.
“Sir Braden Rupert
Giles has been accepted into the Order of the Council as well as the
Braden smiled
proudly. “Thank you, sir.”
Buffy and Giles
exchanged a smile, their eyes shining with love, as the ceremony came to an
end.
* * *
“Dad?”
Giles looked down at
his son as they walked through the Council hall, Braden walking between his
parents. “Yes?”
Braden was busy
looking at his ring, but furrowed his brow.
“You said that once a Slayer is assigned to a Watcher, the ring should
be moved to your left hand.”
“Mm-hm.” Giles glanced at Buffy and smiled, knowing
where Braden was headed with this conversation.
Braden sighed and
looked at Giles’ right hand. “But, you
wear yours on your right hand…and Mum’s your Slayer.”
“I wore mine on my
left hand until I married your mother.”
He answered softly.
“But…why did you
change it?”
Giles looked down at
his left hand, his wedding band reflecting the soft light in the hall. “My loyalty to Buffy as her husband was more
important to me than my loyalty to her as her Watcher.”
When Braden narrowed
his eyes in confusion, Giles chuckled.
“You’ll understand one day, Ru.”
Buffy smiled at
Giles, wrapping her arm around Braden’s shoulders. “So…was that what your ceremony was like?”
“Similar.” Giles stated as he opened the front door of
the complex and held it for his wife and son.
“Mine was…a more subdued affair.”
“Do you remember who
Knighted you, Dad?”
Giles nodded and
smiled warmly. “Sir John Perkins. He was a nice man…tried to talk my father out
of admitting me, actually.”
Braden slipped his
hand into Buffy’s as they walked across the parking lot. “Didn’t he think you’d be a good student?”
Giles pulled the keys
out of his pocket and sighed. “On the
contrary, he stated that I would be an exemplary student. But, he knew it wasn’t what I wanted.”
“But your Dad made
you.” Braden stated softly as Giles
unlocked the car.
Giles looked down at
him and gently ran his fingers through Braden’s hair. “Times were different then, Ru. It was what was expected of me. After all, I am a Giles.”
Braden climbed in and
buckled his seat belt. He was quiet
until Giles pulled out of the parking lot.
“Is it what you
expected of me? Or…us?”
Giles glanced at him
through the rearview mirror. “All I’ve
ever expected of the four of you is your happiness. And that’s all I’ll ever expect of you. If you, your brothers, and your sister are
happy doing whatever you’re doing…then I’ll be an extremely happy man.”
When he felt Buffy’s
hand on his thigh, he gave her a smile and covered her hand with his. Braden looked down at the ring on his finger
and grinned happily.
* * *
Braden sighed heavily
as Giles pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. Buffy turned to look at him as she unbuckled
her seatbelt.
“What’s wrong,
Braden?”
He shrugged his
shoulders and glanced at the house. “I don’t
like that I can’t talk about it. I mean,
this is a big thing and I have to keep it to myself…and I always tell Luke
everything.”
Buffy and Giles
looked at each other, a silent agreement passing between them before Giles
turned in his seat and looked at his son.
“It is true that what
took place tonight should be kept secret.
But, I don’t see why you can’t talk to Lucas about parts of it. I would prefer if you keep your title out of
the conversation, however. Even your
mother didn’t know about that until this evening.”
Braden’s eyes
widened. “Really?”
Buffy nodded in
agreement. “Really. I thought Sir Jamison was being funny when he
came in to get us and called your dad ‘Sir Rupert’.”
Braden thought for a
moment, biting his lip in a way that reminded Giles of Buffy. “But…I can tell him what the ring means? And that I was accepted into the
Academy? And that one day, maybe, I’ll have
a Slayer to train like you trained Mum?”
Giles chuckled at
Braden’s rapid-fire questions. “I see no
issues with you telling your brother about it.
If he asks anything and you’re not sure whether or not you should tell
him…ask me.”
Braden’s smile
returned as he opened the car door and jumped out. As he ran up the walkway to the house, Giles
and Buffy climbed out of the car and followed him…albeit at a slower pace.
Giles tugged the knot
of his tie loose with his left hand as he slid his right arm around Buffy. She leaned into him, slipping her arm under
his jacket and around his waist.
“I think I’ve only
seen you look prouder than you looked tonight a few times before.” She stated softly.
“Oh?” He looked down at her as he rubbed his hand
over her back. “And when exactly were
those times?”
She looked up at him
and smiled affectionately. “When you
held each of our children for the first time.”
He returned her
smile, pausing his steps to lean down for a kiss. “Each of those days are tied for the title of
‘Rupert Giles’ Favourite Day’.”
Buffy chuckled and
kissed him softly, stopping him when she felt his tongue run across her bottom
lip. “Remember the whole time and place
thing? This isn’t it…time nor place.”
He laughed gently,
nodding in agreement before resuming the slow walk to the house. “Fair enough.”
Braden had already made
his way into the house and the excited voices of their friends and Lucas could
be heard. Haddie and Evan would already
be in bed. They wouldn’t understand the
excitement at their ages anyway.
As he followed Buffy
into the house and closed the door, he allowed his eyes to travel over her
backside. He sighed heavily, hoping that
their company would disperse fairly quickly.
He tore his eyes from his wife’s body when he felt a certain part of his
anatomy begin to respond to the thoughts in his head.
Ethan saw the roaming
eyes of his best friend and chuckled softly.
Michael looked at him curiously, to which Ethan gave him a wink and
leaned close enough for Michael to hear his whispered explanation.
“We should leave
soon…and we should probably spread that word to the others as quietly as we
can.”
Michael glanced at
Giles and smiled as he watched Giles’ eyes dart to Buffy’s legs when she sat
down on the couch. “I’ll tell everyone
else if you’ll tell Anya.”
Ethan grinned and
gave him a nod. “Let’s get to work. It’s not going to be long before he can’t
keep his hands off her.”
“How do you know?”
Ethan licked his lips
and lifted his hand to the side of Michael’s face. “Because he’s looking at her the way I’ve
been looking at you. And, I have to admit…I
want to take you home…right now.”
Michael swallowed as
he watched Ethan’s eyes darken a shade.
“Go find Anya.”
Ethan smiled and
backed away slowly. He glanced at Giles,
who had taken the seat next to Buffy on the couch and was currently running his
fingers along her knee in slow circles.
His smile grew and he caught Anya’s eyes.
Anya grinned and gave
him a nod when he tilted his head towards the couple.
Within fifteen
minutes of the Giles’ return to the house, people started leaving. And if he were honest with himself, Giles was
very happy about that fact.
~ End